Ichiro: The Making of an American Hero

by Roland Lazenby

After leading his team to three championships, Ichiro Suzuki left the Orix Blue Waves in Japan to try his luck in America with the Seattle Mariners. Many skeptics thought that Ichiro would be overpowered by American high-speed pitchers, or that he would not measure up as a hitter alongside his new and larger teammates in the major leagues. All naysayers were quickly proven wrong as Ichiro captured the hearts and imagination of Mariners fans, thanks to his unorthodox and highly effective style. This biography of one of baseball’s most interesting and unique stars, which features dozens of color photographs, is complete look at a legend in the making, from his beginnings in Kasugai to his current relationship with the media in America.

48 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Roland Lazenby is an American sportswriter and educator.

Lazenby has written more than five dozen nonfiction books, mainly about basketball and American football. He has also contributed articles to magazines and newspapers.

Lazenby's book Bull Run! was named Sports Book of the Year for 1997 by the Independent Publishers Association.

Lazenby studied at Virginia Military Institute and Hollins University, and has been a member of Virginia Tech's Department of Communication and Radford University's School of Communication. A group of students from his media writing class compiled the book April 16th: Virginia Tech Remembers (2007), an account of the Virginia Tech massacre. Lazenby served as editor.

In 2005, Lazenby and Andrew Mager created Planet Blacksburg, a student organization that focuses on new media, journalism, and publishing.